Adopted lab marking house

Question
QUESTION: I really need help.  I adopted a 3 year lab from the animal shelter yesterday.  They neutered him the day before I brought him home.  He is housebroken but is marking all over the house.  How do I stop this behavior?  I really like this dog but my room mate says I will not be able to keep him if this does not stop.  He despises crates so that is not an option.  I am still setting rules with him and establishing my dominance over him but I am afraid because he was neutered so late in life that this may never change and I will have to send him back to the Humane Society.  PLEASE HELP

ANSWER: What do you mean he despises crates?

Do you work? What do you do with him when you leave? Is that when he's marking, or is he doing it while you are there?

One thing you can do while you're at home (so you can stop him if he tries to take it off), is to let him wear a belly band, or so-called male diaper. Basically it's a wrap that just covers his penis, not his whole rear end. What this does is prevents him from actually peeing on your things. It does not stop him from trying, however, and you will still have to be just as vigilant in watching him and scolding him if you catch him in the act, as if he were not wearing anything. If he does pee in it, you will need to change it just like a baby diaper. You can probably buy pads to put on the inside to absorb most of the urine.

It will take some time and effort, and patience, but the problem CAN be solved. If you can get him used to being in the crate, that is going to be the best way to stop the problem from happening when you aren't at home.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: WHAT I MEAN BY DESPISE IS THAT HE REFUSES TO THE POINT OF HURTING HIMSELF AND MAKING HIMSELF BLEED.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE BUT I AM LOOKING TO SOLVE THE BEHAVIOR NOT JUST PUTTING A BAND ON HIM TO STOP THE PEEING.    I DO WORK BUT HE IS VERY RARELY LEFT ALONE AS MY ROOMMATE WORKS OPOSITE SHIFTS.

Answer
Dyan, as I said, just putting the band on him will not solve the behavior - all it will do is protect your home from being peed all over. You STILL have to keep an eye on him and correct him as soon as you see him start to lift his leg on something - just as you would if he were not wearing anything. The only thing the band will do is keep him from being successful at soaking your things if he DOES begin to pee before you can make him stop.

Let him drag a leash whenever someone is home with him, so that whoever is home can use it to correct him if necessary, and also so you can immediately get him outside whenever you catch him in the act.

When he cannot be supervised, he needs to be confined somehow, so that he cannot *get* to anything to mark it. Crating may not be the best answer, if he hurts himself trying to get out of it, but you might be able to put him in an exercise pen in the middle of a room or something.